


Happy Family AU: Bad Dreams

by Rainy_dearest



Category: Red vs. Blue
Genre: AU, Hurt/Comfort, Shmoof
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-02
Updated: 2012-08-02
Packaged: 2017-11-11 06:41:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/475676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rainy_dearest/pseuds/Rainy_dearest
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been years since Freelancer. York and Carolina have survived, had a daughter, and are now trying to put the past behind them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> (Based on/inspired by AJ's "York and Carolina happy family times AU")

He wakes up to her screaming.

It’s an unwelcome sound, and in the brief seconds before their cozy bedroom comes into focus he’s afraid he’ll see the steal gray walls of the Mother of Invention. Instead he sees Carolina, lurched forward and trembling as she tries to stifle her sobbing. York sits up and wraps his arms around her, rocking her back and forth until her breathing is slightly more even.

“They took her.” She chokes out between the sobs racking her body. “I don’t know how or why, but they found us and they took her. They took our daughter, York. They-”

He quiets her with soft kisses and softer words. “It was just a dream Carolina.” He soothes, “Just a bad dream.” He brushes away the tears overflowing in her bloodshot eyes, even as more replace them. “It’s okay. We’re safe, we’re okay now.” He cards his fingers through her disheveled red hair and rubs comforting circles on her back with his thumbs until she slumps against him, leaning her head against his chest. 

It’s silent for a moment, the only sound being Carolina’s ragged breathing as she tries to match it with York’s comforting heartbeat. Her skin is clammy and cold and slick and she’s still shivering so York pulls the blanket up around her shoulders. He holds her hands and waits for her eyes to close, but they remain open and wide with anxiety. 

After a few moments she climbs off of him and stands up. “I’m just going to check on her.” She murmurs, before tip-toeing across the hall. York leans back and waits for her to return, content and smiling- because who wouldn’t smile at something that cute- and he bolts straight up when she skids through the doorway, pure terror etched in her features.

She’s barely finished hissing “She’s not in her room!” before York jumps to his feet and looks around frantically with her. He can feel his heart plummet and fear seems intent on choking him when he hears a small cry.

“Mommy! Daddy!” Both of the run toward the voice in the dark and they stumble into the kitchen to find a small girl clutching a stuffed rabbit. Her eyes light up when she sees them and she nearly trips over her pajama bottoms as she runs to them. “I heard some yelling and I thought there were monsters so I went to get Bunny out of the kitchen because Daddy said he could protect me and- and-”

The child’s babbling subsides once Carolina scoops her like she weighs nothing-because she means absolutely everything- and York lets out a breath he wasn’t aware he was holding. Their daughter squirms and squeaks out “I can’t breathe!” before Carolina loosens her grip and then she rests her tiny hands on her mother’s face. “Daddy, why is Mom crying?” she asks, her bright eyes shining up at him.

York smiles reassuringly and places a hand on Carolina’s shoulder, “It’s okay sweetheart, Mommy just had a scary dream, that’s all.” He explains as he brushes back her soft hair.

The little girl frowns and with all the seriousness a five-year-old can muster turns back to her mother. “Were there monsters?” she lifts up the rabbit, “Don’t worry, Mommy. Bunny can protect us.” They both let out a chuckle at that, and Carolina kisses the top of her head. She carries her back to their room, still refusing to let her go, and York follows.

They collapse onto the sheets. Their daughter yawns and snuggles closer to her mother as York pulls the blanket over their heads. He can hear Carolina whispering to the little girl as she drifts off to sleep. “You’re safe. Nothing is going to hurt us. I’m not letting anything hurt us ever, I promise.”

When York is woken the next morning, it’s not by screaming, but by Carolina pressing her lips against his and their daughter asking if they can have pancakes for breakfast.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pretty short drabble that's related to this story.

When the little girl tells him with wide, fearful eyes that there are monsters under her bed, York wants more than anything to tell her that monsters don’t exist. But they do, and he knows they do because he’s fought them and fought beside them and he just can’t bring himself to lie to his daughter. So he tucks her in and hands her a stuffed bunny that he promises will protect her and tells her that he'll chase away the monsters if she needs him to.

Because York’s certain that whatever frightening creatures the little girl’s imagination can create are no match for the ones he faced to get to her.


End file.
